Method for lifting and guiding floors during the erecting of buildings



E. G. V. HERQLF ING AND GUIDING FL METHOD FOR LIFT OORS DURING THE ERECTING' OF BUILDINGS Filed April 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ERR G.V. HEROLF Nov. 8, 1966 E G. v. HEROLF 3,283,468

METHOD FOR LIFTII IG AND GUIDING FLOORS DURING THE ERECTING OF BUILDINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9, 1965 INVENTOR ERK: cav- HEROLF United States Patent 3,283,468 METHOD FOR LIFTING AND GUIDING FLOORS DURING THE ERECTING OF BUILDINGS Eric G. V. Herolf, Bankgatan, Sundsvall, Sweden Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 446,997 Claims priority, application Sweden, May 7, 1960, 4,552/ 60 1 Claim. c1. 52-445) This application is a continuation-impart of my earlier application Serial No. 107,255 filed May 2, 1961, now Patent No. 3,210,903 and entitled Method of Erecting Building Construction and Means for Carrying Out the Method.

This invention relates to a method for lifting and guiding floors during the erection of buildings and relates more particularly to a method for lifting and guiding a plurality of floors stacked in superimposed relation, each floor being supported at its final level as soon as it has been raised into position.

It has been proposed heretofore to first erect a frame of walls and shafts or columns and to use the frame as a support for the lifting means and as a guide for the floors during the erection process. This prior art method has certain inherent difiiculties with respect to the fixing and strutting of the frame, an additional and considerable disadvantage lying in the fact that the frame must be completely erected before the raising of the floors can be commenced.

In order to render possible a faster erection of the doors, it has also been previously proposed to replace the function of the frame during the mounting of the method described in the previous paragraph, by extension rods to be carried by the lifting means. However, even this solution includes disadvantages, partly due to the relatively complicated tools and accessories required therefor, and partly due to the fact that the upright extension rods pass through the floors proper thus obstructing free passage of the same.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an erection method which utilizes the fact that the floors do not extend inwardly across the staircase shafts, elevator shafts, and the like and that the shafts pass through the entire length of the building. Consistent therewith, the method of this invention is characterized in that first a basement floor with foundations for external walls and columns is cast. Thereafter, on the basement floor at a position or positions where such shafts are to be located in the completed building, a guiding structure is erected of a length corresponding to the height of one or several stories, the structure being provided in its corners with upright guide pillars. The upper surface of the said basement floor is then utilized as a support for the casting of a first floor which is to become the basement ceiling. This first floor is raised by lifting means in a manner to be described in more detail hereinafter and is simultaneously guided along the guide pillars until the same reaches a point slightly above its final level. Supporting elements are then erected on the basement floor and the first floor is lowered into engagement therewith. A number of additional floors are then cast utilizing the first floor as a base and these additional floors are lifted collectively under the guidance of the pillars and sequentially supported in their final postions. The guiding structure may be used for the construction of the final staircase or elevator shaft.

In this manner the erection time of the building is substantially shortened since the guiding structure can be erected at the same time as the first floor is cast or laid and the lifting of the door can be commenced as soon as the structure has reached the height of one story.

Patented Nov. 8, 1966 During the lifting operation, the floors may be guided in principle by direct contact with the guide pillars. In

consideration of the-fact, that the material of which the floors are formed is generally not resistant to localmechanical stresses such as shocks and impacts, it is preferred, according to a further development of the instant invention, to expedite the procedure by providing the floors during their formation with integral guide members for cooperation with the guide pillars. These guide members are only for the purpose of resisting local stresses and distributing the same over a larger edge surface of the floor.

It has been considered to render the edge more resistant by merely including asbestos or other such fibrous material in the vicinity of the edge in order to reinforce the same. With such a construction, however, a certain friction is developed which must be overcome. Therefore, the instant method is preferably carried out by using substantially frictionless guide wheels mounted adjacent the staircase shafts in the floors and preferably adjustably carried in relation to the guide pillars whereby efficient and reliable relative motion is effected.

Similarly, the guide wheels may be mounted on the guide pillars and, for example, run against sheet metal coverings on the edge surfaces of the floors.

From a practical point of view, however, the first solution suggested above is to be preferred, since in that case the guide wheels may run on angle irons in the corners of the guiding structure.

The guide pillars may, however, according to the invention also be designed with a substantially closed section, the guide members associated with the floors engaging with the guide pillars through a longitudinal slot and running along an inside surface of the pillars. As a result thereof, the guide members, for example wheels, can counteract movements both in a direction to-and-from the guiding structure and also in a lateral direction depending on the shape of the section.

In certain cases it may be preferable to make the floors of several parts with joints therebetween. In such instances it is possible that part of a floor does not lie along the guiding structure for its entire length. At times, the staircase shaft even projects outside the external wall of the building. According to one embodiment of this invention, in such cases, the method is carried out utilizing auxiliary mounting devices secured to the floor and projecting therefrom to carry the guide members, which devices are removed after the floor in question is mounted in place.

In order to facilitate an understanding of the preferred erection procedure as described in my aforementioned application Serial No. 107,255 now Patent No. 3,210,903 which is to be utilized with the erection and guiding method of this application, the following description is set forth.

A foundation floor is formed, preferably cast, while providing the same with a plurality of recesses each having a depth greater than the distance between the upper surfaces of adjacent floors when the adjacent doors are at their final level. A first floor is then formed on the foundation floor, again preferably by casting, and this first floor is provided with a plurality of cavities aligned with the recesses in the foundation floor. Stopping elements are engaged with the recesses in the foundation floor thereby closing the same. A plurality of lifting means each ineluding a body portion and a lifting rod movable relative to each other are provided, the portions being secured to the upper surface of said first floor. The lifting rods are moved downwardly relative to the body portions to extend the same through the cavities into engagement with the stopping elements and are then pressed against the stopping elements to raise the first floor to a height floors to thereby close the same.

The stopping elements are then removed from the recesses in the foundation floor and the body portions of I the lifting means are repositioned on the foundation floor with the lower ends of the lifting rods extending into i the recesses. Extension rods are attached to the upper ends of the lifting rods to increase the length of the same by a distance approximately equal to the distance between the upper surfaces of adjacent floors when the adjacent floors are at their final level in the building construction. A plurality of superimposed additional floors are formed on the supported first floor, each provided with a plurality of cavities aligned with the cavities in the first floor. Additional stopping elements are engaged with the underside of each of the cavities in the additional The extended lifting rods are then moved upwardly to pass the same through the cavities in the first floor into engagement with the additional stopping elements in the cavities of the lowermost additional floor, the lifting rods being pressed thereagainst to raise the plurality of additional floors to a height greater than the final level of the lowermost additional floor. A plurality of additional vertically extending supporting elements are positioned on the first floor :between the same and the raised lowermost additional floor and the lifting rods are moved downwardly to their associated body portions to lower the plurality of raised additional floors into engagement with the additional supporting elements. The lifting rods are then lowered into the recesses in the foundation floor and the additional stopping elements in the lowermost additional floor are removed.

The steps of attaching additional extension rods to the lifting rods, moving the extended lifting rods upwardly to pass the same through cavities in the supported first and additional floors into engagement with additional stopping elements in the lowermost unsupported additional floor, continuing to move the extended lifting rods upwardly and against the additional stopping elements in the lower-most unsupported additional floor to raise the remaining unsupported additional floors to a height greater than the final level of the lowermost unsupported additional floor, positioning a plurality of additional supporting elements ,on the uppermost supported floor 'between the uppermost supported floor and the lowermost unsupported floor, moving the extended lifting rods downwardly to lower the remaining unsupported additional floors into engagement with the additional supporting elements, continuing to move the extended lifting rods downwardly to lower the same into the recesses in the foundation floor, and removing the last-mentioned additional stopping elements, are repeated until all of said additional floors are at their final levels.

With the above explanation of the background of this invention, the details of the instant method will now be described with reference to the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 shows schematically part of a floorand a guiding structure for use in the method according to this invention; and V 7 FIGURE 2 shows in a similar manner a floor and guiding structure for use in connection with an auxiliary mounting device.

Referring to the drawings, 8, lldesigna-tes a floor in order to indicatethat the floor may be either a first cast floor 8, or a consecutive floor 11. The floor, 8, 11 is, as shown designed with an inward rectangular corner which fits around a guiding structure preferably formed of iron, the structure being erected on the basement floor and strutted in any desired manner, for example, by cross 4 studs (not shown), thereby enabling the structure to take up lateral forces.

In the embodiment according to FIGURE 1 the guiding structure has an angular pillar 88 at each of its corners, only one such pillar being shown for illustrative convenience.

Directly in front of the flanges of the pillar 88, the floor 8, 11 is provided with recesses 89 and 90. ,Into the bottom of the recesses are cast supporting elements 91 with guide wheels 92 rotata-bly' mounted in yokes at their ends.

During the lifting of the floor 8,11 in any conventional.

manner, a preferred method being shown in my earlier application as described in detail hereinabove, the wheels 92 run on the perpendicular flanges of the guide pillar 88. Of course it is to be understood that similar means are provided in the additional corners of the staircase shaft shown and additional staircase or elevator shafts passing through the floors are utilized in a like manner to provide guidance for the floors during the erection process.

FIGURE 2 shows a floor segment 8, 11 which may only extend halfway along one side of the guidingstruoture. To the left at the bottom of the figure the floor is provided with a guide wheel which runs against an angular guide pillar in the same manner as shown in FIGURE 1. In the inwardly extending corner the floor 8,-11 is provided with guide wheels 93 instead of guide wheels 92 as in FIGURE 1, the wheels 93 being in contact with the inner surfaces of a guide pillar 94 having a substantially closed section. In the embodiment shown, the pillar 94 has two cavities separated by a cross wall, the supporting elements of the yokes rotatably carrying the wheels 93 extending through slots in the external wall of the pillar 93 so that the guide wheels 93: are substantially prevented from moving in a lateral direction.

, In the uppermost right-hand corner of the guiding structure shown in FIGURE 2 there is mounted a pillar 93 similar to that in the inwardly extending corner. The guide wheel 93 is, however, secured with its supporting element to an auxiliary mounting device 96 projecting fromzthe floor 8, 11. In this manner, the floor segment 8, 11, is guided during its lifting, and as soon as the same is in its final position, the device 96 can be removed thereby precluding obstruction of additional operations carried out after the floor is supported in the necessary wayin relation to the previously erected portion of the building.

It will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved method for lifting and guiding floors during the erection of buildings which satisfies all of the, objectives of the instant invention, and others including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

Since embodiments may be made of the instant'inventive concept, and since many modifications may be made of the embodiments hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Accordingly, what is claimed is:

In a method for lifting floors during the erection ofa 8 building wherein the building has at least one vertically aligned shaft opening passing through all of the floors, and wherein the floors are successively lifted to, and secured in, their final position starting with the lowermost floor and ending with the uppermost floor, the steps of forming a basement floor as a foundation, forming at least one additional floor on, said basement floor with portions thereof defining only a part of each shaft opening, positioning a guiding structure at the location of eachshaft opening, said guiding structure including vertically extending guide pillars at spaced locations around the periphery of the shaft opening, said portions of said one additional floor extending from one pillar over only a part of the distance to a second pillar spaced therefrom, interposing a first guiding means between said guiding structures and each of the floors to be lifted, said pillars each including substantially closed guide sections, portions of each guide section defining a vertically extending interior guide wall, said guiding means including a guide wheel rotatably carried by a yoke secured to its associated floor, said yoke extending through said slot and said guide wheel rollably engaging said interior guide wall to guide the floor during the moving operation, providing the floor to be lifted with an auxiliary mounting device attached to and projecting outwardly fiom said floor to said second guide pillar, interposing a second guiding means comprising a guide wheel rotatably carried by a yoke secured to said auxiliary mounting device and rollably engaging said interior guide wall of said second guide pillar remote from said floor, lifting said additional floor to a position above its final level in the building with both of said guiding means guiding the movement of the same, interposing a plurality of vertically extending supporting means, and lowering said additional floor into engagement with said supporting means, said first guiding means movably connecting the floor and the guiding structure at said first guide pillar,

and said second guiding means movably connecting the auxiliary mounting device and guiding structure at said second guide pillar, and removing said auxiliary mounting device after the floor is supported in its final position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

A. C. PERHAM, Assistant Examiner. 

